Convertible crib-pen for babies



May 15, 1951 H. H. HANSON CONVERTIBLE CRIB-PEN FOR BABIES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29, 1948 Henry H. Hanson I INVENTOR.

May 15, 1951 H. H. HANSON CONVERTIBLE CRIB-PEN FOR BABIES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 29, 1948 Hm H. Hanson m 'EN TOR.

y 1951 H. H. HANSON 2,553,087

CONVERTIBLE CRIB-PEN FOR BABIES Filed March 29, 1948 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 35 Q- 49 3a 4 I Henry H. Hanson JNVENTOR.

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May 15, 1951 H. H. HANSON CONVERTIBLE CRIB-PEN FDR BABIES a 4 t x w 9 h m 6 0 //5 h m 4 2 .w 2 l we F4 7| +5 E a Z: 8 w 2 8 1 4 9 m x 4 m AIIYI w M d a m 0 m a 4 Henry H. Hanson IN V EN TOR.

Patented May 15, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFEI CE CONVERTIBLE CRIB-PEN FOR BABIES Henry H.-Hanson, Tyler, Tex.

Application March'29, 1948, Serial No. 17,683

by a relatively large main pen and a miniature auxiliary pen, the latter being, under normal circumstances, situated for use within the confines of the main pen.

Play pens as they are ordinarily visualized and known embody open work fences and are usually stationed for use on the floor of a room or of an equivalent foundation. They can, of course, be folded and thus shifted from one room to another but are not ordinarily of a size that may be readily moved from room to room by Way of a conventionally narrow doorway. One purpose of the-present invention isto provide .a two-in-one crib-pen construction wherein both pens'are provided with rollers and in which the larger pen is of a width to permit it to be .readily pushed or otherwise carted from room to room, with the baby in it, whereby to enable a mother or'other attendant to keep the baby always in sight while carrying on household duties.

Another object of the invention is to provide, in conjunction with the pens described, a. readily attachable and detachable handle to permit the pens, either singly or collectively, to be conveniently hauled about from place to place.

An outstanding object is to provide a convertible crib-pen of the aforementioned two-in-one 0r duplex type wherein the auxiliary pen is a miniature duplicate of the main pen and is such that it functions as a convenient holder for the baby before it reaches the crawling, sittin and standing stages of development.

A further object is to provide the infant or miniature sized pen which is comparatively shallow and such in marginal proportions that rollers mounted on the under side of said auxiliary pen may be brought to bear upon the floor or bottom of the main pen, whereby to allow said miniature pen to be slowly moved and rolled about from time to time to thus assist in pac'ifying the occupant.

A further object of the invention is to provide a small pen situated within a complementallarger pen, the two being progressively usable as the user emerges from the more-or-less inactive to a highly active stage, the small or auxiliary pen having hangers hingedly attached to the main pen in such a manner as to permit it to be elevated and swung back and forth in cradle-like fashion, stay links being provided to retain the 2 auxiliary pen in a substantially stationary/state whenever necessary or desired.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a duplex crib-pen of the aforementioned character wherein the auxiliary pen may becompletely lifted out from the main pen and provided with'a detachable handle, permittin same to 'be conveniently used as a -push-pull vehicle, the latter being sufficientl small and lightin weight that it may be conveniently carried upstairs-for 'use if and when desired.

Then, too, it is a further object to provide, "in a structure of the type described, anindependently operable and usable small pen having 'a readily insertable and removable rigid bottom so that the latter may be taken out and a suitable pad placed beneath the pen to keep it from rolldevice may be so tied at one end only that the other end may be lifted up and conveniently pushed out of the way when-it becomes necessary for the mother, nurse or other attendant to change the infants wearing apparel.

What is more, it is a still further object of the invention to provide a pen having a removablebottom which may be lifted out, allowing the occupant to recline on a pad in such a manner as to have freedom for tossing and keeping and otherwise performing the usual exercisin antics of a normal baby.

It is a still further object of the inventionto provide an open work pen construction with a removable bottom which may be lifted cute-rid placed atop the top rails to thus provide a table;

And, in addition, it is an object of the invention to make both pens of knockdown form to permit dismantling and to allow for compact and convenient storage requirements.

Other objects and advantages will becomemore readily apparent from the following description and the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings, wherein like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the views:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a con- 'vertible two-i-n-one crib-pen constructed in accordance with the principles of the present invention and illustrating the auxiliary pen in an elevated position, ready to function as a cradle if and when desired,

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the plane of the line 2 -2 or Fig ure'3,

acter B. =tially identical in construction and vary only as Figure 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a corner construction of each unit,

Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the auxiliary unit or pen removed from the larger one and showing the handle attached, whereby to provide a convenient Vehicle,

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of that end of the handle which is detachably connectable with the unit seen in Figure 4,

Figure 6 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view on the line 6-6 of Figure 5, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure '7 is a cross section on the line l-'! of Figure 6, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the stay links, I

Figure 9 is a top plan view, on a smaller scale,

7 of the structure seen in Figure 1,

Figure 10 is a top plan view of the main pen unit with the smaller unit removed and the bottom removed,

Figure 11 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view on the line ll-ll of Figure 9, looking in the direction of the arrows,

Figure 12 is a section, on an enlarged scale, on the line l2l2 of Figure 1, IOOkil'lg in the direction of the arrows, and

Figure 13 is a section on the irregular line l3l3;of Figure 12, also looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure;14= is a central longitudinal sectional view showing the main pen in section and the inner, smaller pen in elevation, the latter being lowered from the elevated position of Figure 1 to a plane whe e its rollers contact the bottom of a main pen in order to take a position sometimes wanted by the user.

Referring now to Figure 1, for example, the principal unit, which I conveniently call a main pen, is denoted by the reference character A and the complemental smaller unit, which I call an auxiliary pen, is denoted by the reference char- In practice these units are substanto size.

The main pen A comprises lonigtudinal side fences l5 and I5 and transverse or connecting end fences l1 and [8. Each fence embodies wooden or equivalent upper and lower horizontal rails 19 and 20 which are preferably cylindrical in cross section, said rails being connected by suitably spaced uprights 2|. The respective rails are separably connected together in the manner shown in Figure 2 and 3. Here it will be seen that one rail terminates in a tenon 22 fitting into a mortise 23 in the coacting rail. These corner arranged mortise and tenon joints are connected by vertical bolts 24, the lower threaded ends of said bolts being provided with assembling and retaining nuts 25, as shown in Figure 13. The upper end of the bolt has a crank 25 and an associated washer 21. This is to stabilize the construction and to permit the bolt to be inserted and removed, consequently to permit the fences to be separated and stacked for convenience of handling, shipping and storage. I call attention too, to the cornerarranged diagonal braces 28 whose lateral ends 29 fit intosockets provided therefor in the rails. It will be obvious that when the fences are setup to provide complete pen units A and B, the braces 28 are in place as shown. When it is desired to dismantle the structure the braces may be pried loose with a screw driver or the like, after which the bolt and nut may be removed and the fences either set up or taken down, as the case may be. Incidentally, the corner construction of both units A and B will be found to be the same in all instances, a description of one will sulfice for all and, for the same reason, the same reference characters ar applied to same or like parts, as is obvious.

Referring further to the details of construc- I tion of the main unit A, I call attention to an insertable and removable substantially rigid plywood bottom 30. This provides a convenient support for the occupant or for a pad (not shown) which is under ordinary circumstances used. I also call attention to several rounds or crosspieces 3!, -32 and 33 (see Figure 1) which are fastened as at 34 to the underside of said bottom 30. These serve as reinforcing members and also are provided at their opposite or outer ends with hook-like clips 35 which take over the rails 20 and serve to conveniently maintain the bottomboard 30 in place. It is obvious that by catching a hold of one edge of the board and lifting it slightly to clear the retaining hooks or clips, the board can be then tilted and angled up and removed conveniently from the confines of the surrounding fences.

I next call attention to swivelly mounted casters or rollers 36 which are mounted on the rails 20 and which serve to render the unit A conveniently mobile. Then, as best shown in Figure 12, the central cross-piece 32 is provided with additional rollers or casters 31 and these serve to distribute the weight and make for rigidity, in an obvious manner. Also, and as shown in Figure 11, the top rails 19 are provided with adapter plates or cleats 38 having U-shaped seats 39 to accommodate removable hooks 40 on the lateral upstanding end portions 4| of U-shaped hangers 62. The latter are used for cradling the smaller unit or pen B in place as shown in Figure 1. Incldentally and as shown in Figure 12, the unit B is provided on its under side with small hooks 43 which serve to attach the bottom of the unit B to the hangers while allowing free cradling.

Taking up further the construction of the pen or unit B, it will be seen in Figure 1 that this also embodies longitudinal side fences 34 and Q5 and transverse or end fences 45 and 41. These fences embody top and bottom rails 48 and s9 and have connecting uprights 50 therebetween. The removable wooden bottom of the unit B is denoted by the numeral 5| and this is provided on its under side with cross braces 52 having clips or hooks 53 engaging the lower rails 49 and permitting the bottom to be held in place or readily dislodged and removed if and when desired.

Reference being had to Figure 13, I call attention to the numeral 54 which designates a stay link having hooks 55 and 56 at opposite ends. One

hook is engaged with an end rail on the main pen A and the other hook with a bottom end rail on the unit or pen B. When in place, as shown in Figure 13, the links serve to hold the two units in relatively stationary position. On the other hand by removing the links, the unit B is free to be swung or cradles, in an obvious fashion. While considering Figure 13, it will be seen that the numeral 51 designates a hook which serves to accommodate a part of a detachable handle 58. The handle has a wire frame attaching head 59 with a bend at 60 which may be conveniently and detachably connected with the hook 51 as shown in Figure 4. The frame 59 also has bends 6| to engage over the coacting rail in an obvious manner. The end portions 62 of the frame fits into a socket in the handle and are secured in place by a driven wedge 63. The numeral 64 merely denotes a reinforcing ferrule. Since it is desired to employ both units A and B as movable vehicles, the unit B is provided in casters 65 as shown in Figure 4. I might explain, in this connection, that hooks 61 may be applied where wanted, that is on the opposite ends or on all fences, making it possible to roll the vehicle in a direction of its length, or at right angles in a direction of its width. I have not however shown the hooks 51 distributed since it will be obvious that this is but an incidental aspect of the invention.

Although the auxiliary pen is shown in elevated suspended position in the drawings it is obvious that it may be detached from the hangers and lowered so that its rollers rest upon the floor or bottom of the main unit and so that it may then be used as a rollable holder.

It is believed that if the reader will study the various views of the drawings carefully and will consider the individual and collective functioning of the two units A and B and will again review the objects of the invention as stated in the introductory portion of this specification he will doubtless understand the construction and coaction of parts and will full well appreciate the wide range of facilities available and results obtainable. In fact, the drawings have been laid out to portray the primary aspects of the invention but could, of course, be enlarged upon the depict uses other than those explicity shown. It is felt, however, that the disclosure, blankets and therefore, covers the essential features and that actual use of the invention itself will enable one to acquire a comprehensive understanding of the structure as a whole.

In reference to the conversion or adaptation i1- lustrated in Figure 14, this figure brings out with particularity the manner in which the inner pen unit B may be placed at its lowest elevation within the confines of the surrounding main pen unit A. In fact the unit B has its roller 65 in rollable contact with the bottom 30 of the unit B. Also in this arrangement the U-shaped hangers are hingedly attached to the upper rails 48 of said unit B instead of the lower rails 49 as shown in the preceding figures. It follows that the unit B is actually anchored in the unit A and may roll and swing longitudinally back and forth in relation to said unit A. Normally when it is desired to hold said unit B stationary the stay devices 54 are applied and used as shown in this figure. However by detaching the hooks 55 and 56 the unit B is then free to be cradled back and forth within the unit A in an obvious manner.

A careful consideration of the foregoing description in conjunction with the invention as il lustrated in the drawings will enable the reader to obtain a clear understanding and impression of the alleged features of merit and novelty sufficient to clarify the construction of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

Minor changes in shape, size, materials or rearrangement of parts may be resorted to in actual practice so long as no departure is made from the invention as claimed.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a crib-pen of the class described, an openwork pen embodying side and end fences, each fence having upper and lower horizontal rails, said rails being cylindrical in cross section, and an insertable and removable bottom, said bottom being provided on its under side with transverse cross pieces, said cross pieces having hook-shaped clips, said clips being selectively engageable either with the longitudinal side rails on the lower portions of said fences to provide a customary pen bottom, or being detachable from said rails and attachable to the longitudinal top rails to provide a table.

2. A crib-pen of the class shown and described comprising a substantially rectangular baby enclosing pen embodying vertical side and end fences, the adjacent ends of the respective fences embodying top and bottom rails with their coacting end portions separably interconnected through the medium of mortise and tenon joints, insertable and removable vertically disposed bolts passing through the coacting corner joints of all of said rails to maintain the stated fences in separably assembled relationship, readily insertable and removable U-shaped corner braces connecting the end portions of the respective lower rails, an insertable and removable bottom having its respective corner portions resting atop the coacting U-shaped corner braces, cross pieces mounted transversely across the underside of said bottom, and hook-shaped clips mounted on the respective outer ends f the coacting cross pieces and resting releasably on coasting portions of the lower rails.

3. A portable combination-type crib-pen for infants comprising a substantially rectangular main outer pen having a rigid bottom and confining fences marginally bordering and rising vertically above said bottom, all of said fences embodying upper and lower rails, a pair of rigid U-shaped hangers having their respective end portions hingedly mounted on the longitudinally extending upper rails and having their bight portions swingable in a plane spaced vertically above said bottom, an auxiliary inner pen arranged wholly within the confines of said outer pen, said inner pen being shallower than the outer pen and being provided with a rigid bottom and depending rollers, said inner pen being further provided with upper rails, said upper rails being in turn provided with assembling members releasably connected to the respective bight portions of said hangers, whereby said inner pen is cradled in said hangers.

4. The structure specified in claim 3 wherein stay links are releasably connected to the upper rails of the respective pens for purposes of temporarily locking the inner pen and the outer pen.

HENRY H. HANSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 485,081 Baird Oct. 25, 1892 825,137 Lee July 3, 1906 870,426 Gamber et al Nov. 5, 1907 888,045 Shaw May 19, 1908 1,872,216 Appleby Aug. 16, 1932 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 564,019 France Oct. 10, 1923 

